Definition
Very fine grained fault rock which is composed of glassy matrix that often contains inclusions of wall-rock fragments.
Metapelite is an old and currently not widely used field geological term for a clay rich fine-grained clastic sediment or sedimentary rock, i.e. mud or a mudstone
History
Origin
USA
-
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From pseudo- + tachylite, a glassy rock generated by frictional heat within faults.
From Pelos or clay in Greek
Class
Metamorphic Rocks
Metamorphic Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Family
Group
-
-
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Quench
Foliated
Color
Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Pink, White
Dark Greenish - Grey, Green, Light Green, Light Greenish Grey
Maintenance
Less
Less
Durability
Durable
Durable
Water Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Scratch Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Stain Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Wind Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Acid Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Appearance
Dull and Soft
Banded
Architecture
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Industry
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement
Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate
Medical Industry
-
-
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments
Artifacts
Other Uses
Commercial Uses
Creating Artwork, Gemstone
Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork
Types
Cataclastic rock
Metamorphic rock
Features
Host Rock for Lead
Easily splits into thin plates, It is One of the Oldest, Strongest and Hardest Rock
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
-
-
Famous Monuments
-
-
Sculpture
-
-
Famous Sculptures
-
-
Pictographs
-
-
Petroglyphs
-
-
Figurines
-
-
Fossils
Absent
Absent
Formation
Due to change in environmental conditions, rocks are heated and pressurized deep inside the Earth's surface. Pseudotachylite is formed from the extreme heat caused by magma or by the intense collisions and friction of tectonic plates.
Due to change in environmental conditions, rocks are heated and pressurized deep inside the Earth's surface. Metapelite is formed from the extreme heat caused by magma or by the intense collisions and friction of tectonic plates.
Composition
Mineral Content
Iron Oxides, Pyroxene, Quartz, Stishovite, Sulfides
Albite, Chlorite, Quartz
Compound Content
Carbon Dioxide, Silicon Dioxide, Sulfur Dioxide, Sulphur
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, MgO
Transformation
Metamorphism
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism
-
Weathering
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Weathering
-
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Erosion
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Erosion
-
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Physical Properties
Hardness
75-6
1
7
👆🏻
Grain Size
Very fine-grained
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
Fracture
Uneven
Fibrous
Streak
Light to dark brown
-
Porosity
Less Porous
Highly Porous
Luster
Vitreous
Earthy
Compressive Strength
60.00 N/mm240.00 N/mm2
0.15
450
👆🏻
Cleavage
-
-
Toughness
-
-
Specific Gravity
2.46-2.863.4-3.7
0
8.4
👆🏻
Transparency
Transparent to Translucent
Opaque
Density
2.7-2.9 g/cm30-300 g/cm3
0
1400
👆🏻
Thermal Properties
Specific Heat Capacity
0.92 kJ/Kg K0.72 kJ/Kg K
0.14
3.2
👆🏻
Resistance
Heat Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
South Korea
-
Africa
Western Africa
Western Africa
Europe
Great Britain, Switzerland
United Kingdom
Others
-
-
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
-
-
South America
-
Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
Central Australia, Western Australia
Central Australia, Western Australia